There are many applications in which it is desired to connect together two edges of adjoining portions of material. As one non-limiting example, many gas turbine engines utilize silencers through which exhaust gas is routed. A typical silencer construction comprises metal fibers and wire woven into a grid sheet and arranged in a cylindrical shape. The exhaust gas flows through the silencer as it travels down the exhaust path. Interaction between the gas and the pores of the grid convert sound energy to heat. Additionally, the sound wave associated with the exhaust flow bounces off of the grid and cancels a portion of the sound energy remaining in the exhaust flow, thus reducing the noise produced by the engine when the exhaust gas exits the engine.
To construct the silencer, a sheet of metal grid material is rolled into a cylinder with the edges adjoining one another, and a seam is created by welding the two edges of the material together along the length of the cylinder. It has been determined that this seam may become a location of early crack formation in the silencer during use, as the welding process deteriorates the metal grid material's oxidation resistance and mechanical properties. The crack formation can lead to the separation of the joint and reduces the silencer performance.
Improvements in systems for joining two edges of material are therefore needed in the art. The present disclosure is related to a system for joining two edges of adjoining portions of a material. The presently disclosed embodiments will find applicability to joining edges of metal grid material used in the construction of exhaust gas silencers in gas turbine engines. The presently disclosed embodiments will also find applicability in other applications where two edges of adjoining portions of any material are to be joined together.